Six weeks ago, an effort headed by Cleveland Community College secured a $27 million U.S. Department of Labor grant. A visit to the campus Monday from the vice president’s wife and the U.S. Labor Secretary further spotlighted how the nearby county hopes to turn the grant money into jobs.

Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, and U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez were flanked by Secret Service agents and Shelby Police officers as they toured classrooms at the community college and learned how students there are training for “mission critical” positions. Those vital jobs include technicians, data center employees, even hospital positions, all of which fill a constant need.

In September, the labor department said five colleges landed the grant. Because Cleveland Community College led the effort, it will receive more than $13 million for staffing and equipment aimed at the mission critical project. Some of those faculty positions have already been filled.

“No community college in North Carolina has gotten a grant this large,” said Shannon Kennedy, the college’s executive vice president of instruction and student development.

Other colleges that were part of the consortium and will receive a smaller cut of the grant include the University of North Carolina, Nash Community College, Wake Technical College and Moultrie Technical College in Georgia.

Speaking with students: In one classroom, Biden and Perez spoke briefly with IT students about how they planned to use their skills in the workforce.

Reese and Clearwater Paper have worked with Cleveland Community College since 2010 to help fill more than 200 jobs at the Washburn Switch Road facility.

Dover, who previously served in the Marine Corps, was recently hired at the Wipro data center in Kings Mountain thanks to skills he learned at the community college.

Pairing employers, skilled employees: Biden, herself a community college professor, and Perez spoke of the need to match employers with skilled employees and the ability for community colleges to provide those skills to a workforce.

Every seat in the auditorium was taken by students, faculty, college board members and partners in the project.

Davis said students in the program could leave with a degree and industry certification.

“The goal is to get the employer to build the certification,” he said. “We want the employers to contact us.”

Kennedy said the grant, as well as Monday’s high-profile visit, could open the door to future grants to help put people back to work.